SOFIA GOORNO TALKS MAP HEIST
"The real pressure to make a living kicks in"
Daniel John
After three friends find a sunken bottle leading to a pirate-map, the quiet day at sea quickly turns into a big adventure. What got you say aye-aye to 'Map Heist'?
I accepted the offer to be in 'Map Heist' because I loved the script, and the sorta buoyancy of the role, it felt at the time like Ava’s sense of youthful excitement really matched where I was in my eagerness to pursue film acting. After having worked on many more sets this past year, I am very grateful to have begun my on-camera experience in such a fun, collaborative environment such as 'Map Heist'.
From the moment we meet her, Ava and her mischievous ways are rather clear, but she is also quite fierce and brave when needed?
The thing I love most about Ava’s character is how she holds her own. In a cast that is predominantly male, Ava’s sense of confidence in herself stands out. I love how she doesn’t find her place with her friends by conforming or shying away from a challenge, but rather, she finds her place through her individuality. In the end, she saves the day because of her mischief, bravery, and quick-thinking.
As a student of the Meisner technique, your focus would not be on yourself, but rather on the other actors, reacting to them in a way that rings emotionally true in the moment. What dynamic did you find in your co-stars?
This is very true. I had a great dynamic with my costars, especially Forest and Chris who I shot most of my scenes with. As we were shooting our scenes together, I was getting to know them in real-time. It was not like acting with people I knew so intricately that I could foresee their every move. So I naturally found myself getting surprised and intrigued by their performances and the way they varied each take, and was able to react off of that. I had to pay close attention to them, or I would miss the nuances of not just their performances, but of them as people. I think it is quite special that that was caught on camera, and it definitely kept the dialogue fresh and exciting.
You very much grew up a theatre kid, and it has been something that seemingly always been a part of your life. From performing in early musicals and plays, to getting scholarships and studying along some of the best. When did you like really know this was gonna be your thing?
I distinctly remember knowing around the time I was twelve. I had given my fair chance at many different sports and hobbies and nothing had really sparked the passion I knew that I had in me. I played Cruella de Vil in a school play, and something about rehearsing for the role and then, eventually, the performance aspect of it, just felt so cathartic and fulfilling to me in a much more significant way than anything else I had ever done before. From then on, it was all I wanted to do.
Would you deem it different acting for the camera than it is acting on the stage?
They are definitely different. I am at a point in my life where I really enjoy acting for the camera. In stage productions, I was always told I needed to be “more.” With film, I love how I get to more naturally express emotional states, and dig into these subtle nuances in characters that just sort of get lost on stage. It feels like a more accurate representation of who I really am. But of course, the live component of theatre is just the most special thing ever. I guess I am in a phase where I love acting on-camera, but being an audience member for theatre!
Are there any theatre productions you’ve been part of that you would like to explore on film?
It would be interesting to see 'The Book of Everything' by Guus Kuijer as a film. It is a really special show that is centered around a heavily imaginative nine-year-old boy and his troubled family in Amsterdam, following the second world war. I think the magic of the play could really be enhanced by film, and the darkness could feel a lot more vulnerable and dangerous.
How would you describe your own life as an actress living in New York. What's the many trials and tribulations, but also the dreams and opportunities?
It’s a dream in many ways. It is definitely challenging, living on my own for the first time but I just love the busy environment. There’s no other place I’d rather be while I’m developing my craft. And getting to study Acting at NYU Tisch, at the Meisner studio, is incredible, it’s a dream I’ve had for a long time. I’m trying hard to cherish the time I have to just soak everything in and learn, before I graduate and the real pressure to make a living kicks in! But really in this city there is just so much life everywhere. There is a lot to learn from here, a lot of inspiration to pull from, and a lot of motivation to really get out there and experience.
‘Map Heist’ is available for everyone to stream at YouTube, what do you believe platforms such as these mean today?
Accessibility is so important! I myself have learned so much about acting from just observing. I love that streaming services are becoming so popular, as they just make the consumption of art that much more easily accessible.
Do you see yourself writing or producing anything thanks to there being different platforms like Youtube and so on?
I absolutely see myself being both a writer and producer in the future. I am pursuing a creative writing minor at NYU, so there is no doubt in my mind that I'll one day write some of my own material. As I develop and discover my voice as an artist, I hope to be able to put it out into the world in many different forms, beyond just acting.
